30 Days and 30 Nights
by calzonafan2014
Summary: Stef and Lena have one final assignment from their therapist. They need to have sex every day for 30 days. Do you think they're up for the challenge?
1. Chapter 1

**Day one**

Stef and Lena had been bouncing from crisis to crisis for so long that they barely knew what to do with themselves following Callie's adoption. Slowly but surely though they found a new, lighter rhythm. They spent a few more sessions in therapy in order to make sure they'd shared all that needed to be shared and took their therapist up on her final assignment – 30 straight days of sex.

"You really think we have the time?" Lena asked Stef skeptically on the ride home.

"If you don't want to…" Stef offered.

"That's not what I'm saying," Lena shot back.

Of course it wasn't. Not that it didn't sound fairly…daunting. They had sex. Of course they did. They'd even had it recently. But it tended to be more of the couple of times a week variety…when they were hitting on all cylinders. Lena couldn't quite remember the last time they'd gone seven for seven.

"When was it?"

"What?"

"The last time we made love for a week straight?"

Stef thought about it. And then thought some more.

"Remember a couple years ago, the twins went to camp for a week and Mike took Brandon on that road trip?"

Lena smiled. Yes, that week had been fun. But… "Didn't Mariana come home early?"

Stef sighed. Yeah, projectile vomiting had put a bit of a damper on that week. She also knew that it was already five and they needed to get home, start dinner, deal with at least a couple of piles of laundry and then the inevitable after dinner cleanup.

"Have you noticed that the kids' one week moratorium on chores during finals' week seems to have lasted the entire summer?" Stef suddenly realized.

Lena's eyes went wide in shock and she started thinking back.

"We've been doing dishes every single night of the week," Stef offered.

"And laundry," Lena added.

"And cleaning that disgusting bathroom a dozen times a day."

Lena shuddered at the things she had seen over the past two months in that room, "At least we don't have to share any longer."

"Amen to that. Shaz is a miracle worker."

"I don't know if I'd call her that," Lena replied with a bit of bite that went unnoticed by her wife.

Stef was too focused on the fact that they had allowed their lazy teenagers to turn them into their wait staff all summer. Nice work if you could get it.

"No wonder we're too exhausted for sex."

"The chore wheel is coming back."

"Darn straight."

The kids had grumbled of course, but not too much. They all seemed to realize that their con had run its course. Callie even offered to make dinner. With all of the kids busy with a half dozen chores for the evening and dinner not ready for an hour, Stef and Lena snuck upstairs for, "Day one."

"Do you think they'll suspect?" Lena asked as Stef stripped off Lena's top all while stepping out of her own pants. Let's face it, they didn't have all that long.

Stef chuckled just before she kissed her wife once, twice and then a third time, letting herself sink into it as Lena held her tight. She vaguely remembered what it had been like to think that she had somehow invented sex all the while imagining some mythical age that it would lose its appeal.

As Lena's fingers trailed down her body, played gently with her clit before sinking inside Stef stifled her groan and thanked God she'd been a moron. Because sex, sex had never been better.

 **Day Two**

The next morning was a Saturday and Lena knew they'd have a few hours before the kids would so much as stir. So she scurried into the bathroom to brush her teeth and brought mouthwash back for her wife. Maybe not the most romantic gift but definitely the better part of valor. She set it carefully on the bedside table and then proceeded to take just a moment to simply look at her wife. When had she last taken the time?

"Are you going to kiss me or just keep staring at my remarkable bed head?" Stef finally asked with a soft smile, her eyes just barely open.

Lena rolled her own eyes before launching herself onto her wife, "I was basking in the moment," she declared before kissing Stef soundly, mouthwash be damned.

 **Day Three**

Saturday night they stayed up late watching a movie snuggled on the couch. Stef slipped her hand under Lena's pajama top and lightly stroked her back and then casually slipped around to the front and just barely grazed the underside of Lena's breast, like they were two kids on a date figuring out how far they could take it. Luckily for them, neither was Cinderella and so when the clock struck midnight, they raced each other to their bedroom.

 **Day Four**

Monday morning Stef and Lena got up bright and early to prepare for work with little time for more than a quick kiss goodbye. Stef headed out for her ten-hour patrol, while Lena made her way to Anchor Beach, still her job although she had hopes that it wouldn't be for much longer.

Since school hadn't formally started Lena was able to pass a fairly uneventful day and slip out a tad early. By the time Stef arrived home Lena had changed into comfortable clothes and had dinner just about ready to eat.

"Hey honey, you just need to wash your hands," Lena tossed out over her shoulder as she bent down to pull the chicken enchiladas out of the oven. Stef nodded, but first she swung by the fridge and pulled out a beer. She rarely drank them anymore, having switched more or less to wine. But today, today had been a beer type of day.

Lena frowned slightly at Stef's back, "Bad day?" she asked, concerned.

Stef shrugged as she finished washing her hands and turned around to see the kids all reaching for the enchiladas at once.

"Hey, hey, you all act like you haven't seen food in a month," Stef said, swatting away hands and forcing them to pass the dish around like civilized human beings.

"It's been at least four hours," Jesus complained.

Mariana snorted. "I saw you eating a ham sandwich two hours ago," she said as she dished up her own enchiladas.

"I was starving," Jesus replied as he finally got the casserole dish and proceeded to pile enchiladas onto his plate.

Stef and Lena shared an amused look that became slightly less amused when the enchiladas came back around to them with only one and a half remaining.

"Hey, starving boy, could you share some of that food with your parents?" Jesus looked down at his heaping plate and reluctantly handed over one of his enchiladas. Jude, who'd managed to swipe four, also offered one up to his moms.

"I think you're going to have to make a double batch next time," Stef said to Lena.

"This is the double batch," Lena replied and everyone laughed.

That night Stef collapsed onto their bed still fully clothed in her uniform as Lena took her time in the bathroom. She was exhausted. It had been an awful day. And she wasn't at all in the mood for sex. All she wanted was to sleep. And forget. When Lena came out of the bathroom in her slinky robe Stef groaned. And it wasn't a good groan.

"Lena, I don't think…"

"Take off your clothes," Lena replied with enough authority to make Stef blink in mild consternation. And begin to unbutton her uniform top. While Stef stood up to step out of her pants Lena folded down the bed spread and laid out a large towel on Stef's side of the bed.

Naked, Stef turned to her wife.

"Lay down," Lena instructed. And Stef did, lying down on her stomach, arms at her side. Lena grabbed the massage oil, poured a generous amount into her hands and started at Stef's shoulders. She worked for a good half a dozen minutes in silence as the tension slowly eased away.

"You want to talk about it?" Lena finally asked.

Stef shook her head. She didn't. She never talked about it. That had never been part of the deal.

Lena added more oil and continued down Stef's back.

"You know I meant it. When I told you I was marrying all of you. You don't have to protect me." Lena offered up even as she continued to massage down towards Stef's lower back, brushing against the surgical scar that was a reminder of how close she'd come to losing her wife less than a year ago.

"She was pregnant. Six months. He knocked her down the entire flight of stairs at their crappy apartment building. When we arrived she was already hemorrhaging."

Lena massaged and soothed. She could easily picture the scene. It was horrific. How could anyone do that intentionally?

"Did she survive?" Lena asked.

Stef just shook her head. And then she rolled over and tugged Lena towards her, undoing her robe, seeking the connection of naked skin.

"Honey, we don't have to," Lena started to offer, but Stef cut her off with a passionate kiss and proceeded to slowly kiss her way down her wife's beautiful and alive body.

 **Day Five**

The next morning Stef felt amazing. She heard the shower running and headed into the bathroom to join her wife. Lena smiled when Stef drew back the curtain and pulled her in.

 **Day Six**

On Wednesday, Lena had an all-day teacher in service at the school and was planning to meet with each teacher individually right after. Stef worked her normal shift and raced home to prep dinner. She wasn't a bad cook. Lena was definitely better and healthier, but Stef could manage in the kitchen without burning the place down. Today she was going with her ubiquitous spaghetti, which was actually Jesus's favorite dish she made, so she tripled the recipe and prayed she'd get more than two bites.

Speak of the devil, Jesus popped into the kitchen and headed directly to the fridge, grabbing two string cheeses and a bottle of Gatorade. Stef knew better than to protest.

"Enjoy that hollow leg while you can, bud. Because it won't be long before…" Stef patted Jesus' flat stomach and exaggerated a pot belly.

"Not gonna happen," Jesus said, confidently.

"That's what we all say," Stef replied.

"Hey, you aren't going anywhere," Stef shouted out as Jesus almost managed to escape. "Get to chopping. And while you're at it, you can give me the full story of that fight."

Jesus obediently got to chopping, but clammed up on the fight. "I told you Mom, it was just one of those things. I'm sorry."

"Jesus. Getting kicked out of school isn't just one of those things. You broke the guy's jaw."

"I know."

And that was that. Stef knew she wasn't going to get anymore out of him.

That night, Stef and Lena got ready for bed a certain charge of anticipation in the air. Both of them were tired, but they also knew they hadn't had sex the entire day. And it was a requirement.

"He's still not talking?" Lena asked.

"Nope. And uh, I was thinking," Stef began. She didn't expect Lena to like her idea. But this was Jesus. Stef knew he could be hot-headed, but this was different. It was more serious. And she felt strongly that they needed more facts before they could really determine a proper punishment, or maybe even counseling.

"Yes?"

"You know Vasquez, my old partner, he transferred to that area, and I was thinking…"

"You want to collect evidence on our son?"

"I want to know if this is something we should be really worried about," Stef replied evenly.

"He broke a boy's jaw, of course we should be worried about it."

"Kids get into fights Lena. And I know Jesus is a bit hotheaded, but this…this feels like something more. Would it please be okay if I just looked into it?"

"And if I say no are you going to go behind my back and do it anyway?"

Stef gritted her teeth. "No. I won't. But if you want me to come to you with ideas you aren't going to like, you might want to pick your battles."

Touche. "Okay. But I reserve the right to say I told you so."

"Agreed."

The earlier sexual tension had been ground down to negative ten by the frost that currently coated the room as they climbed into bed firmly on their own sides, backs to each other, and shut off the lights.

The seconds ticked slowly by as they each debated how badly they wanted to win the challenge.

"It's been a long time since we had angry sex," Stef finally tossed out.

Lena involuntarily shuddered. It had been a long time. But she remembered it quite clearly. They'd gone out dancing. And Stef had taken exception to a woman who had gotten a bit too close to Lena and refused to back away when asked. Lena had claimed Stef was drunk. Stef had simply said that the woman deserved what she got. Which was a solid right hook to the nose. Stef flashing her badge to the cop who arrived and getting out of trouble had simply made Lena angrier. They'd gotten home, paid off the babysitter and Lena had tossed blankets and a pillow to Stef who had tossed them right back. And then…

They turned towards each other at the same time. Stef felt Lena's nails dig in through her cotton t-shirt, shuddered and nipped Lena's earlobe in return.

"Do your worst," she dared.

And oh did she ever.


	2. Chapter 2

**Day Seven**

The next morning Stef checked the bathroom mirror to see if she had any visible marks on her back from the night before when Lena walked in.

"I didn't draw blood," Lena protested.

"Sure felt like it." Stef replied.

"Are you complaining?" Lena asked with a raised brow.

Stef grinned at her wife. Hell no. And then she caught sight of an actual mark just at Lena's neckline. It was barely visible. But well….

"You gave me a hickey?!" Lena asked, just catching sight of it in the bathroom mirror.

"Come on, no one's going to notice."

"It's August. I can't exactly wear a turtleneck."

"What about one of your million scarves?" Stef suggested and got a glare in return.

"Did you see it?" Mariana asked Callie that afternoon plopping down on Callie's bed next to Mariana.

"See what?" Callie asked.

"Mama totally has a hickey," Mariana replied.

Callie scrunched up her nose. "Why exactly do you seem excited about that?"

"Because it means they're finally doing it again. Duh."

Callie put down her book and just looked at her sister, "Are we really talking about our moms' sex lives?"

"It's perfectly natural. What wasn't natural is them not doing it. And fighting. And going to therapy. This? This is normal."

Callie just rolled her eyes at her sister's glee.

With Mike in court for the day, Stef was patrolling alone and found her brain filled with thoughts of sex like she was suddenly a horny teenager. The more sex she and Lena had, the more she suddenly wanted. Getting inspiration, she pulled over to the side of the road, pulled out her phone and texted her wife. Or could it be called sexting?

The picture Lena immediately sent back answered that question. And Stef found herself suddenly wishing she'd worn that underwear her mother had bought her for Christmas. Checking the time Stef decided it was close enough to her lunch hour to call it in and do a bit of shopping.

That evening Stef and Lena wrapped up dinner in record time and caught each other's eyes as the kids were cleaning the table.

"You know. I'm beat. I think I'm going to head up and take a long bath," Stef said.

"Really?" Lena asked. "I was just going to head up as well. I've got a ton of reports I need to finish reading before my meetings tomorrow."

The moms left and Callie immediately smacked Mariana with her dishtowel.

"Hey, what was that for?" Mariana asked.

"Putting these thoughts in my head."

"Oh, you think they're going upstairs to do it?" Mariana asked with a grin.

"Do what?" Jesus asked.

"Have sex, idiot." Mariana replied and took her turn smacking him with her own dishtowel.

"Hey, why would you put that thought in my head?"

"She started it," Mariana defended, pointing towards Callie.

"Oh no, that's only because you…" Callie slowly started backing away from her siblings as glee filled their eyes and they both started rolling up their respective dishtowels.

"Get her," Jesus declared. And the chase was on.

Stef and Lena heard the sound of the chase from the comfort of their shared bath and sighed.

"Do you think we should do something about that?" Lena asked.

"They won't actually kill each other," Stef replied picking up the washcloth and gently scrubbing Lena's back. A loud crash caused them both to wince.

"Did you lock the door?" Stef asked.

"Of course." Lena replied.

"Excellent. Where was I?" Stef asked as she dipped the washcloth lower.

 **Day Eight**

Since Stef worked four 10s, Friday was her standard day off. She figured now or never and after showering well after Lena had left for work, slipped into the her new purchase and snapped a pic before hopping into her jeans and tossing a t-shirt on to cover up. Then, before she could dissuade herself, she texted the pic to her wife and went about her day.

Lena was stuck in a meeting with her boss and Timothy, arguing over the budget for the new school year and wishing she could will herself away. And then her phone lit up and she caught a brief glimpse of her wife's picture on her locked home screen.

Unable to resist, Lena picked up her phone to see the pic in full. Grinning to herself she quickly texted her wife back.

"Lena, Lena, can you back me up on this?"

Lena looked up, startled as the eyes of both her colleagues stared back at her. She coughed and grabbed a quick glass of water.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I agree with Timothy. I absolutely think we should open this school up to a more diverse student body. My daughter Callie has commented to me on multiple occasions that the kids here come across as a bit spoiled. And entitled."

Monte looked startled while Timothy smiled triumphantly.

Lena left work at the earliest opportunity and raced home, thrilled that she'd managed to arrive to a more or less empty house as the kids' car was gone. Seeking out her wife she caught her rooting around in the pantry to prepare dinner and pounced.

Stef jerked as Lena's arms wrapped around her from behind and immediately started pulling up her t-shirt.

"Lena," Stef chastised, attempting to tug it back down as she looked around for one of their numerous kids.

"Come on woman, show me," Lena growled, biting down softly on Stef's earlobe and Stef caved.

"That's not fair," she argued weakly as Lena eagerly stretched Stef's top at the neckline to draw it down her shoulders and reveal the ridiculously scandalous red bustier top.

"Your boobs look amazing," Lena marveled.

"That was kind of the point," Stef replied, helplessly, wishing there was a damn lock on the pantry door. Lena didn't seem to care as she plucked one of Stef's breasts out of her top and took the nipple into her mouth. Stef fell back helplessly into the shelves, knocking a couple of cans onto the floor at the same time the pantry door was thrown open.

Stef caught a bunch of Lena's hair in her hand and held her down for dear life when Lena tried to jerk away. That beautiful head of hair was the only thing keeping her modesty somewhat preserved.

"Close the door!" Stef shouted at the same time it slammed shut.

Stef released her death grip and soothed it down as Lena stood back up and rubbed her head while Stef tucked herself back together and looked around the room.

"So, we've got a lot of supplies here. Think we can just hunker down for oh, a couple of months or so?"

Jesus meanwhile had stormed outside to the garage where Mariana and Brandon were practicing.

"It isn't natural," Jesus declared.

"What's not natural?" Brandon asked.

"Old people having sex."

"Oh, Mr. Nesbitt's at it again? You'd think he'd learn to close the drapes," Brandon replied not terribly interested.

"I _wish_ it had been Mr. Nesbitt," Jesus sighed.

"He's talking about the moms," Mariana offered.

"They're not…" Brandon began, but Mariana nodded her head sagely and Jesus joined in.

"Oh, they most definitely were. In the pantry." Jesus said. And the latter sounded like his moms had single handedly destroyed his favorite thing.

Dinner that night was entertaining to say the least, as Jesus for once seemed less than enthusiastic about eating.

"Honey, you don't like the chicken?" Lena asked, concern evident. A concern that was met by giggles and snorts from around the table.

Stef willed back the blush as she put on her best parental face, "Would someone like to share the joke?"

"I think you may have ruined food for Jesus," Jude finally offered up politely. Stef did her best to maintain a straight face, but one look at Jesus' forlorn expression was too much.

Stef laughed and got out of her chair and hugged her son tight. "Oh you poor baby. Just think of all the things you'll be able to tell your psychiatrist some day."

That evening, Stef was stripping off her clothes in their closet when Lena entered their bedroom and resolutely locked the door behind her.

"Seriously?" Stef asked her wife. Because after that debacle, all Stef wanted was to throw on her comfortable flannels and crawl into bed.

"Seriously," Lena stated confidently.

"You're really in the mood after all that?"

"I think _all that_ is right in front of me," Lena replied with a smile as she walked over to her wife and kissed her softly then ran her finger delicately down the red bodice top.

"I love that you wore this for me," Lena said.

Stef glanced down at her chest. "The girls do look pretty good don't they?" she joked.

"Oh they most definitely do." Lena agreed.

 **Day Nine**

Saturday morning Lena took Callie and Mariana shopping for new school clothes while Stef took the boys for the same. Divide and conquer as it were. Halfway through the day, as Mariana dragged them to what felt like the hundredth store, Callie was very much wishing she had chosen to go with the guys. But Mariana had assured her it would be 'fun.'

'This isn't fun Mariana, it's torture."

"Come on. Mama's always a softer touch on clothes than Mom. And this would look so cute on you," Mariana held up a blue crop top with a light bit of fringe and Callie grabbed it from her and shoved it back on the rack.

"Yeah, if I were a stripper."

"Hey, from what I've heard, it's a great way to pay your way through college."

Callie just looked at Mariana.

"Maybe not a great way, but strippers are people too."

"Yes they are," Lena stated firmly as she caught up to her daughters. "But the wonderful thing about clothes is that we get to wear whatever makes us feel good about ourselves." Lena added.

Callie looked at Lena, who was, as usual, impeccably dressed in skinny jeans, a brown and white flowing see-through blouse with a light brown tank underneath, polished off with a chunky belt, necklace and matching earrings. Callie knew that she could shop for clothes for years and never come close to putting one outfit together that looked half as good.

"I just want to be comfortable," Callie replied. Because seriously, the amount of time and energy Mariana spent on all of this was exhausting. Maybe she should care more, but she just didn't.

"Then comfort it is," Lena replied easily as she looked through the rack of clothes and grabbed a couple of thing she thought Callie might like while also slipping the top Mariana had admired into her own pile. Stef had surprised her yesterday. Maybe it was time for her to return the favor.

"Honey, are you planning to come out tonight?" Stef shouted to her wife.

"In a minute," Lena replied from behind the doors of their bathroom.

Stef sighed. She sat in the chair by their bed where Lena had instructed her to sit before she'd headed into the bathroom to change. Actually, she'd instructed Stef to put on her uniform first. Which she'd done with an ever so slightly raised brow. That had been at least 30 minutes ago and Stef had almost nodded off twice.

She wanted to be excited for whatever her wife was planning. She really, really did. But she'd spent all day shopping with three very different teenage boys. Brandon wanted his fancy old man shirts and skinny jeans, Jude's choices reminded her of what the boys had worn when she was back in junior high except he was very particular about materials and sourcing, and Jesus just wanted shorts and t-shirts and food, not necessarily in that order. All she wanted right now was bed and precious, precious sleep. But alas, she had to have sex first.

The lights to their room suddenly dimmed and Stef jerked her head to their bedroom door where her wife had materialized, hip cocked, dressed in a short trench coat, stockings and a pair of stilettos.

Okay, maybe she wasn't that tired, Stef realized.

The music was soft, but the beat was immediately recognizable. And Lena was working it. No subtle winks or goofy grins to pull from the mood, just languid sex. She suddenly felt like a bit of a stranger. An incredible, gorgeous stranger, and Stef was definitely getting the Fever.

Lena let the music consume her. She avoided eye contact with her wife as she untied her trench and let it slip lazily off her shoulders, pooling at her feet. She kicked it aside and dressed only in simple black lace underwear, her garter belt and stockings on full display, she undulated to the music.

Stef watched, entranced. She knew her wife loved to dance, but this uninhibited display was a step beyond anything she'd seen from her before. When Lena finally began strutting closer to Stef, she caught herself holding her breath. And then Lena stopped a foot in front of her.

"Officer, you know the rules?" Lena asked.

"For what?"

"A lap dance."

Stef nodded. There was only one real rule, no touching.

Lena smiled. And then she straddled her wife's lap, feeling the coarse material of Stef's pants chafe ever so slightly as she rocked to the music. Lena leaned forward, hands resting on the backs of her knees and brushed her breasts against her wife's mouth. She felt Stef's lips ghost over a lace covered nipple and immediately leaned back.

"You said you knew the rules," Lena chastised.

"Aren't all rules made to be broken?" Stef asked.

But Lena wasn't quite ready for the game to end. She reached down and gathered Stef's hands and lifted them over her head, holding them to the back of the chair. Stef didn't object. She loved it when Lena took charge.

"Is kissing against the rules?" Stef asked as her wife's mouth was tantalizing close in this position.

"Yes," Lena replied even as she leaned in closer and closer until they were just a breath apart.

"That's too bad," Stef whispered. And Lena was so close she could feel Stef's lips forming the words. Lena continued to hold Stef's hands down and slowly worked her hips to the beat of the music. Her nerve endings had caught fire and her lips were pulsing softly in anticipation. She finally looked deep into her wife's eyes, dark with desire, but filled with surrender, awaiting Lena's next move.

The kiss, when it came, was a mere brushing of lips. And it felt incredible. Lena repeated it once and then a second time before trailing her lips lightly down Stef's jawline and back up. And then she let Stef's hands go so she could grab onto the back of her head and kiss her deep.

Stef, hands finally free, wasted no time. She reached down and hooked her fingers in Lena's underwear and slowly tugged it down as far as she could.

"Take them off," Stef ordered. And Lena quickly did before rejoining her, still clad in her garter belt and bra. Stef wrapped her arms under her wife's ass and stood up, Lena's legs wrapped securely around her waist for the few steps it took to make it to their bed. Rather than lay her down, Stef sat on the edge of the bed, Lena still on her lap, legs spread out behind her as Stef slowly leaned back and pulled Lena along with her, until she was straddling Stef's face and Stef pulled her down and consumed her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Day 10**

Sunday morning Stef woke to her wife's fingertips ghosting up and down her back and then over her shoulder and down her arm and back up along her side, her stomach muscles rippling pleasantly in response and then Lena gently caressed around her breast, ghosting her palm over an erect nipple and then down the center of Stef's body. Lena proceeded to follow a similar route with her lips, licking and sucking Stef's nipple into her mouth before trailing down to her center where she nibbled and sucked and Stef groaned and helplessly thrust her hips forward for more.

 **Day 11**

Monday morning dawned bright and early as Stef and Lena prepared for a new week, the second to last before the kids would be returning to school. As such, it was still a more quiet routine than normal, their kids blissfully snoring away as they drank their coffee and shared a light breakfast…a very light one as it turned out since they were out of milk, eggs and bread.

"Didn't you go to Costco on Friday?" Lena asked.

"I did. And I picked up four dozen eggs, four gallons of milk and four loaves of bread."

"Wow." Lena marveled.

"It is kind of impressive when you think about it," Stef agreed as she polished off her yogurt.

"So it is. Should we leave them some cash or make them fast until dinner?"

"I've got a better idea," Stef declared. She headed into the pantry and returned with a mix of odd ingredients. Then she wrote up a note for their kids that Lena read over her shoulder.

"Adams Foster Chopped Kitchen Challenge? You realize it's going to be a disaster when we get home, right?"

"Nah. Jude's on kitchen clean up tonight. He'll make sure they take care of it."

"Good point."

Stef rinsed out her yogurt container and tossed it into the recycling then picked up her keys from the table and headed to the door.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Lena asked.

Stef turned to her wife in confusion as Lena slowly walked up to her and smoothed her hands down the front of Stef's uniform. Then she leaned forward and kissed her.

"Take good care of my cop," Lena said lightly.

"I always do my love," Stef replied and leaned back in for another kiss.

"Do you have time to stop for groceries or do you need me to on the way home?"

"I can take care of it," Lena said and then had a thought. "What are you doing for lunch?"

"You, if I'm lucky," Stef answered with barely a pause and Lena smiled in pleasant surprise. She'd thought she'd have to do some convincing. Of course, with the kids still out of school their location options were limited.

"Where though?" she asked and Stef had to think.

"Give me a couple of hours and I'll text you," she said.

Lena agreed and they went their separate ways.

A few hours later Lena received a text from her wife with an address, a room number, an arrival time and a message about handcuffs and arresting her that caused a wave of heat to flood her system. She'd hinted at it several times over the years. Stef had laughed, but she'd never seemed interested in taking her up on it. Lena tried not to get her hopes up. She also tried to concentrate on her job. She was an abysmal failure at the latter, and the second the clock hit 12:20 she was out the door…and running smack into her boss.

"Lena, I was hoping we'd run into each other. I thought we could talk over lunch about Timothy's proposal?" Monte held up her own boxed salad lunch to show Lena.

"I'm actually having lunch with my wife," Lena shared. "Why don't you have Cheryl check our schedules and calendar something for us with Timothy for this afternoon or tomorrow?"

Lena didn't wait for Monte's reaction, as she frankly didn't care. The one piece of work she had managed for the day had involved scheduling an interview for the open principal position. With a bit of luck, she'd have a new job by the following week.

Lena arrived at what turned out to be the Dolphin Motel and felt just a touch of trepidation. She hadn't expected the Ritz, but she hoped this wasn't a place that rented by the hour. Luckily, the grounds looked reasonably clean, so Lena made her way to room 112 and knocked since she didn't have a key.

"It's open," Stef shouted. Feeling a mild thrill over the unknown, Lena opened the door and stepped inside…to utter darkness the second the door closed behind her. She blinked, trying to help her eyes adjust, and searched for her wife.

"Stef?" She finally asked, turning around in a circle, trying to sense the room for any sign of another human being. But all she felt was complete stillness. She took a tentative step forward and shrieked when a strong hand that she hadn't seen or felt suddenly grabbed her wrist and sent her spinning around, forcing her face first into a wall, her right arm behind her back. Her heart was pounding as she felt wrapped up and consumed by the silent body behind her. It was her wife. She knew that. She'd heard Stef's voice five seconds before she'd entered. And this close she recognized her wife's scent and the feel of her body. But the utter darkness and silence was unnerving.

Both of her arms were forced over her head and she found herself 'assuming the position' of her own accord. Her heart rate was still accelerated, but it was with anticipation and just a touch of trepidation for whatever was to come.

The pat down, when it began, felt completely impersonal. Starting at her left hand, and then all the way down the left side of her body, brushing over her breasts and rear without the slightest hesitation and then back up and the same repeated on her right side.

"Are you going to cuff me, officer?" Lena asked once Stef had completed the ritual. The full length of her wife's body pressed her more fully into the wall and she shivered.

"Is that what you want?" Stef whispered into her ear. Which meant Lena still had an out. She could say no, turn around and kiss her wife. The lights could come up and it would be just like it had been a thousand times before.

"I did break the law," Lena said instead and was rewarded with Stef's body sinking onto her and soft kisses trailing down the side of her face.

"You did, didn't you?" Stef said, just as Lena felt the clasp of a decidedly non-regulation cuff on her left wrist as Stef pulled away and led her to the bed.

 **DAY 12**

The next morning Lena awoke mildly sore, but thrilled by the previous day's experience, excited to have discovered a new facet of the wife she thought she knew so well.

She hopped out of bed and headed for the shower, expecting to find Stef, but was taken aback to discover that Stef had somehow managed to get up, dress and leave for work without her hearing a thing. She found note on the kitchen table explaining that Stef had a long day in court and needed to catch up on some paperwork prior.

Lena didn't think much of it, but texted her wife good morning and that she'd missed waking up with her and went about her day.

Later that afternoon Lena checked her phone, surprised to see it free of any return message. She texted Stef again to see if she would be able to make it home early enough to start prepping dinner and received a prompt affirmative.

"Affirmative?" Lena frowned slightly, wondering if there was something wrong that she hadn't noticed the previous evening. Come to think of it, Stef had been a tad subdued, and she'd refused to meet Lena's eye to laugh over their children's antics, one of their favorite activities.

And then she thought hard about the day before. It had been incredibly intense. Stef had never been that completely dominant before. At one point she'd found herself looking up into her wife's eyes and the sheer intensity bleeding off of her had nearly overwhelmed. She was so gorgeous in that moment Lena had wanted to take a snap shot. Luckily the image had implanted itself in her brain and it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Had Stef not felt the same?

"Lena, do we really have to talk about it?" Stef asked, standing by her side of the bed as she stepped out of her flannel bottoms and prepared for bed. Lately they'd taken to sleeping more or less in the nude.

Lena, clad in one of Stef's SDPD t-shirts, had tossed the covers back on her side of the bed, but stood there resolute. "I think we do. Because I loved it - I loved everything about it. And if you didn't…"

Stef snorted at the ridiculousness of that idea, but Lena forged on. "If you didn't, then we don't have to do it ever again."

"You really think that's the problem? That I didn't enjoy it?" Stef laughed again without humor.

Lena took a deep cleansing breath and tried to center herself. She'd said before that Stef could be frightening and this, this right here was what she'd meant. Her bitter self-hatred could burn everything in its path when it got on a roll.

Lena knew that she couldn't back away this time. She needed to stand here and let Stef purge whatever was rotting her soul and turning something that had been a beautifully intense connection into something ugly.

"If you enjoyed it and I enjoyed it, then what's the problem?"

"I didn't just enjoy it Lena, I loved it – I loved everything about it. What does that say about me, huh?"

"That you're an incredible lover, and I'm grateful to be your wife." Lena answered promptly. Because it was true. But she could tell that Stef was still tormented as she wrapped her arms around herself and turned to stare out the window. And so Lena crawled across the bed and knelt behind her, tentatively reaching out and running her hands soothingly down Stef's back. She felt Stef shudder but she remained still and so Lena continued to lightly massage her back for the next several minutes. Ultimately leaning forward and offering up soft kisses to the back of Stef's neck.

"I love you Stefanie Maria Adams Foster - everything about you. I wish you could see yourself the way I see you." Lena wrapped her arms around her wife from behind and held her tight.

Stef chuckled and Lena could feel the weight of all the pain that came with it.

"I don't want to be a guy," Stef finally said.

Lena continued to hold her wife tightly as she leaned against Stef's back and rested her chin on her shoulder.

"I know that," she said firmly. "You're my woman," Lena gave a tight squeeze and Stef chuckled without humor.

"Why do you think what we did makes you a guy?" Lena finally asked. "Because you used a strap-on? It isn't the first time we've done that."

Stef felt heat crawl up her skin. Lena was so comfortable talking about sex in all of its permutations. And even after all these years of being out and living her life, Stef couldn't prevent the wave of shame that sometimes overtook her when she really gave in to her desires.

"I know people think I'm butch," Stef finally said.

"Stef, you're just you. And I'm just me."

"No one ever looks at you and thinks gay."

"But I am," Lena said simply.

"I love you so much," Stef said pulling Lena's arms even tighter around her body even as she continued to stare out their window.

"I love you too." Lena replied. "And I am also ridiculously attracted to you if that wasn't already completely clear."

Stef smiled. "I had a vague idea."

"I love that you put on that red bustier for me. And I love how sexy you look in your uniform. You know that has always done it for me. And believe me, I'm not alone. You don't know how close I came to firing Shaz. I swear her tongue almost fell out of her mouth when you walked down the stairs in your uniform."

Stef chuckled in real amusement this time and turned around in the circle of her wife's arms, bringing her own up to pull her tight.

"If you'd like, we could switch it up one night. I could put on the uniform and arrest you for a change," Lena teased.

"You'd like that?" Stef asked with an arched brow.

Lena pretended to ponder, "Oh, I don't know. Having my wife at my complete mercy. Being able to do anything and everything to her body without any ability on her part to protest? I suppose that might be mildly enjoyable."

"I love you," Stef said again looking deep into Lena's eyes. And Lena felt that love to the depths of her soul. It filled her up completely in its sheer intensity, causing a sudden tear to escape that she hadn't even known was threatening.

She'd missed this. In the last year she'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be so surrounded by her wife's love. There was absolutely no place in the world she'd rather be.

Lena glanced down at her wife's lips and closed the small gap, kissing her with everything she had, and proceeded to demonstrate just how much she too loved her wife.


	4. Chapter 4

**Day 13**

Lena changed her necklace for the second time and Stef rolled her eyes as she stepped in behind her and bussed her cheek.

"You look gorgeous, my love. Just like you looked in the two other outfits you already had on. They're going to love you. And if they don't it'll be their loss. It also won't have anything to do with your outfit."

"I really want this," Lena said.

"Even though it's nothing like Anchor Beach?"

"I've read everything I can get my hands on about this school. There are good people working here. Not perfect, but they care. And these kids…just about every one of them would break your heart. I can help them Stef," Lena declared and Stef smiled in understanding.

"I know you can. But you've never liked being constrained…" Stef's voice trailed off as Lena smirked slightly at Stef's choice of words.

"You know what I mean. I want you to be happy love, even if that means staying at Anchor Beach."

"Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me. But there's a reason I wanted to quit when I didn't get the Principal's job. It's time. I need to be fully in charge."

Stef quirked her own eyebrow at Lena's word choice and got a quick kiss in return. And then both left their bedroom to start their day.

While Lena waited for her interview at Chavez High School her phone buzzed. She glanced down and grinned at the raunchy picture her wife had sent her for good luck.

"Lena Adams?"

Lena jumped to her feet at the sound of her name and dropped her phone, watching as it slid over to the feet of the secretary who had called her name. Lena flew after it, and just managed to swipe it up before the secretary could reach it. She dumped it into her purse and smiled at the woman as if she hadn't a care in the world. She was met with a stony expression that gave her pause. She had a feeling that this woman came with the place.

"Yes, I'm Lena Adams, and you are?" she asked, still smiling as she held out her hand.

The secretary, an older African American woman, let her hold it out for an uncomfortable amount of time before reluctantly taking it.

"Louann Williamson," she offered before quickly dropping Lena's hand and turning to head out of the lobby and into the back offices, "Follow me."

Securing her bag over her shoulder Lena nodded firmly and followed.

Nearly two hours later Lena walked out into the sun not at all sure how she'd done. Everyone had been nice, but poker faces abounded. And she could feel a soft veil of cynicism greet every answer she gave about ways that she thought she could improve the academic curriculum, after-school opportunities, particularly around music, and overall quality of life for both the students and the faculty.

Lena made her way to her car so focused that she completely missed the cop car trailing her until a soft honk had her jumping out of her skin. She turned around at the same time Stef lowered the passenger side window.

"Wanna ride?" Stef asked.

Lena smiled to herself as she sauntered over and leaned in.

"What are you doing here?"

"I had a call in the neighborhood. Figured I'd stop by and see how it went," Stef shared.

Lena opened the passenger side door and climbed in, her eyes quickly scanning the items in Stef's police cruiser.

"They think I'm a crazy bleeding heart who will burn out in six months," Lena shared.

"They said that?"

"No. But that's what they were all thinking."

"Sure that's not you projecting?"

"I won't burn out," Lena said with complete assurance.

"I know a lot of the students here," Stef replied as she drove away, a destination clearly in mind.

"Just because they've been arrested that doesn't make them bad kids," Lena defended.

"Not all of them. There are a few though…"

"You do realize that our own kids have broken the law, right? Mariana sold Jesus' pills, Brandon stole from my office to create and sell fake ids. If his parents hadn't been police officers…"

"He'd have a criminal record haunting him for the rest of his life. I know. There's nothing fair about the system. And I hope you don't think I'm running after these kids just hoping to throw them into prison."

"Not you, no. But you can't deny that the system does sometimes criminalize kids for being well, kids. Particularly kids of color who live in less than ideal circumstances through no fault of their own."

"I'm not trying to deny that, Lena," Stef replied, exacerbated as she pulled her car into the perfectly secluded spot she'd been seeking out and parked.

Lena, who hadn't been paying attention, suddenly noticed that Stef's police cruiser was completely hidden from view and turned towards her wife.

"You're thinking about sex?!"

"I was. Clearly that was a mistake," Stef said with a sarcastic chuckle.

Stef went to restart the car, but Lena held out her hand to stop her as she looked more carefully around the fairly wide front seat of the cruiser and thought about the logistics of it all, and the fact that it was the middle of the afternoon and even though they were secluded, that didn't preclude the chance of getting caught.

"I'm sorry," Lena said. "I know that it's not entirely your fault that kids are getting screwed in our criminal justice system."

"Thanks. I think." Stef replied dryly.

Lena could tell that she'd pretty much-killed Stef's mood. And it had clearly been a very, very good mood for her to even think about doing something like this.

So she took the initiative and slid fully over to Stef's side of the front seat and nuzzled into her neck.

"So officer, are you going to arrest me?" Lena asked as she nibbled Stef's earlobe while her right hand made its way closer and closer to Stef's center.

"Have you committed a crime?" Stef asked.

"Is having a sex in the front seat of a cop car a crime?" Lena asked.

"Only if you get caught."

"Well then, I guess we better be quick."

 **Day 14**

Thursday dawned bright and early like always and Stef and Lena soon found themselves trapped in workdays from hell.

Lena faced an unending stream of helicopter parents intent on ensuring their precious child had every class necessary to give him or her the best opportunity to get into Harvard or else clearly their baby was going to end up destitute and living out of a box on the side of a road. Lena did her best to reassure and offer alternatives that would work for everyone, but her polite no's were met with either attempts at outright bribery (seriously, one father pulled out his wallet!), or increasing levels of hostility.

Stef meanwhile began her day at the site of a vehicular fatality for which she had to deliver the news to the young man's even younger wife. The girl had greeted her at the door bright eyed and six months pregnant with a baby on her hip. She'd dissolved into nothing the second Stef started talking, and Stef found herself bouncing an adorable toddler while she waited for the girl's mother to arrive, all before 10am. She figured her day couldn't get any worse. Until it did.

Lena arrived home desperate for a glass of wine and a bit of peace, but was instead assaulted by every single one of her children.

"Mama, did you have a chance to talk to your friend about my app?"

"What's for dinner?"

"Can I skip dinner to hang out with Connor?"

"I have work to do, can you guys please keep it down?"

"What was that?" Mariana asked Brandon as she turned up the volume of the music she was blasting on her iphone.

"One at a time, please," Lena said carefully. Mariana recognized that tone and immediately lowered the volume on her music.

"Jude, you've had all day to hang out with Connor, you know the dinner rules."

"Jesus, we're having soft tacos with black beans and rice. If you want to eat sooner, you can get it started."

"Callie, I'm sorry, I didn't get a chance to email Erica, but I promise I will do so before bed, okay?"

Lena looked around at her kids. "Where's Mom?" She asked.

They all looked around and shrugged.

"Still at work I guess," Mariana replied.

Lena pulled out her phone and texted her wife. "Worst day ever. Please tell me you can stop for more wine on your way home?"

A second later Lena's screen lit up with a photo of a full six-pack wine carrier from the grocery store sitting on Stef's passenger seat.

"My hero." Lena replied quickly as she headed into the kitchen to prepare dinner and discovered Jesus had taken her up on the offer and was cooking away.

"Hey, looking pretty good Jesus. What are you using as your taco seasoning? It smells terrific."

"Just the standard. Chili, onion, garlic powder. A little paprika and cumin. I doubled the amount of garlic and added some crushed red pepper flakes. Oh, and salt and pepper to taste."

"You are a life saver," Lena said as she poured the last of the wine that sat on the counter into a glass and leaned against the counter.

"So, are you okay with going back to Anchor Beach?" Lena asked her son.

"Of course. I gotta admit, I kind of missed everyone."

"We missed you too."

"Hey, hey the wine is here," Stef shouted as she entered the kitchen through the back door.

"Thank you…" Lena broke off as she got a good look at her wife and almost dropped her own glass in her haste to get closer.

"Stef, what happened?!"

Stef's uniform was decidedly the worse for wear, ripped and torn in several places.

"I'm fine love," Stef assured, "Just could really, really use a glass of wine right now."

"Are you sure? Do you have a concussion? Have you seen a doctor?" Lena demanded.

"I may have seen a doctor for a couple of minutes and she told me that I clearly have a very hard head. No concussion, just a few bumps and bruises and maybe a couple of tiny stitches," Stef confessed.

"Jesus, can you?" Lena asked, motioning to the food.

"I've got it. Just as long as someone else takes over dishes!"

Lena didn't bother to respond to Jesus' demand as she dragged Stef upstairs to their bedroom.

"Strip."

"And they say the magic never dies," Stef tried to tease, but Lena wasn't having it.

So Stef unbuttoned her shirt and shrugged it off. Lena could then see the bandage wrapped around her bicep.

"What happened?"

"He ran. I chased. Over hill and over dale. And down the side of a ravine." Stef watched her wife's eyes tear up ever so slightly and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'm fine. Just a bit bruised. And sore."

"Do you want me to call Jenna or do you?"

"We are not canceling on her."

"You think you'll be up for dancing?"

"Honey, it's not until Saturday. And you've got to see this place and all of the young girls on the hunt. They're adorable. And like twelve. And Jenna would hurt me much more if we backed out now. She needs wing women."

"We're wing women now?" Lena asked and Stef chuckled.

"She thinks you owe her one," Stef shared with absolutely no residual heat on her part.

"We'll see how you feel in a couple of days," Lena replied unwilling to fully commit. Her fear at seeing Stef in her torn uniform had receded, but she could tell Stef wasn't 100%. And now she really needed that glass of wine. And bed. She was exhausted.

Stef meanwhile smelled herself with distaste, "I'm gonna grab a quick shower. I'll be back down in a second."

At dinner, Stef downed three ibuprofens and chased them with two glasses of wine. She'd heard the combo once referred to as a cowgirl cocktail, and the name had stuck in her mind. Her liver might not appreciate it as a regular occurrence, but for the evening, the wine eased up her stiff muscles and the drugs took away the pain.

That night, Stef and Lena both collapsed into bed and were halfway to sleep when Stef jerked herself awake. "Damn it."

"What's wrong?" Lena asked, burrowed under the covers and barely listening.

"We have to have sex before we get to go to sleep." Stef reminded.

Lena unburied herself and turned onto her back then glanced over at her wife.

"Do you want to?" Lena asked.

"We're at the half-way point," Stef replied. She wasn't a quitter.

Lena dragged her hand out from under the covers and presented it to Stef. "Two out of three?"

Stef nodded. Lena wrapped her rock up with paper the first go. The both showed scissors the second. Stef wrapped up Lena's rock their third try and claimed victory by cutting up her paper on the third.

Lena sighed. "I am falling asleep in fifteen minutes. Make of that what you will."

And Stef gamely rose to the challenge.


	5. Chapter 5

**DAY 15**

The next morning Lena got up at her typical time, but Stef didn't even stir as she showered and dressed. It was rare for either of them to sleep past six, and while Lena felt a pang of jealousy, it was superseded by the relief that for once Stef's body had forced her to rest. Before heading out, Lena stopped by her wife's side of the bed and brushed a soft kiss on her forehead.

Stef wandered into the kitchen a bit after eight ready for her morning cup of coffee. She was still a bit stiff after the previous day's tumble, but felt completely refreshed. Stef grabbed her blue mug and the pot and started to pour, then frowned when she ended up with less than half a cup.

Callie, oblivious to having taken the last of the coffee, entered the kitchen to drop her cup off in the sink.

"You know, I could arrest you."

"Huh?" Callie asked, turning to her mom in surprise.

Stef tilted her half empty cup in her daughter's direction. Callie had the grace to look guilty even as she hid a smile.

"Oops?"

"Um hm." Stef knew she wasn't going to survive on half a cup so began making more coffee as Mariana came down the backstairs followed by Jesus.

"So, Mom," Mariana began as she sat down at the table, "tell us. What's the plan?"

Stef quirked a brow at Mariana, "The _plan_?"

"Your Anniversary, duh."

"That's not until next week," Stef dismissed.

Mariana gave a pointed look to her brother. She'd told him as much.

"Mom, come on, I had faith in you," Jesus said.

"What?" Stef looked at her three children all of whom appeared to be shaking their heads at her.

"I bought her a gift. And I figured we'd go out to dinner," Stef added. None of her children looked impressed. "What's wrong with that?"

"You kind of blew Christmas," Callie offered.

"Kind of?" Mariana asked.

"Mom, come on, you know Mama is a bit high maintenance," Jesus offered.

"Excuse me?" Mariana asked her brother.

"Where do you think _you_ got it from?" Jesus asked his sister, not at all sorry for stating the obvious.

"Jesus," Stef said. But the bite was missing since she was trying not to laugh.

"Mom, trust me on this. I know women. And you need a better plan." Stef snorted at her son the lady's man, but the message had been received.

Stef knew she wasn't the most romantic person. But as she sat at the dining room table paying the bills she also knew she was going to have to step it up. There wasn't any money for Catalina, not with the recent outlay for school clothes. If Lena got the principal's position that would give them a bit more cushion. It would help even more if she could get a promotion. It should have happened last year, but she hadn't pushed after the post shooting fallout. Now, it was time to push. Either she'd get her bump up to Sergeant and start training the rookies, or she'd move into the Detective track. She knew which one Lena'd prefer. But that wasn't going to make a difference for the next weekend.

That night, Stef got out the body oil and took her time making love to her wife. This…this was something she could do. Afterwards, Lena rolled onto her side and dragged Stef into her body.

"That was amazing," Lena said as she nuzzled Stef's neck.

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah."

Stef smiled and lifted Lena's hand to her mouth for a kiss.

"I love you." Stef said.

"I love you, too." Lena added with a squeeze.

 **Day 16**

"You came!" Jenna said, jumping up and running over to Stef and Lena in relief the moment they finally stepped into the club.

"Of course we did," Lena said even though just an hour earlier she'd tried to convince Stef to cancel.

"How could we not after you promised that the first round was on you," Stef teased.

"Two pomegranate martini's right?" Lena and Stef nodded and Jenna waved over the cocktail waitress while Lena took in the scene.

"This is quite the gathering." Lena commented. 

"Didn't I tell you?" Stef asked. "Oh, look, check them out, aren't they cute?" Stef asked pointing out the much younger crowd of lesbians seated at the table across the way. One of the group caught sight of Stef and smiled.

"Hey, hey, those are for me, remember?" Jenna ordered Stef. And Stef saluted back, wrapping her arm around Lena.

"Understood."

"Aren't they a little young?" Lena asked glancing over at the group again and glaring a bit at the young woman who was still checking out her wife.

"They're legal." Jenna argued.

"So's her son," Stef said to Lena under her breath and Lena laughed.

"Hey. No judging," Jenna demanded. "Not when you've got each other."

Stef turned into her wife and smiled, giving her a soft kiss.

"Fair point."

"Officer Foster?" Stef pulled back from Lena and turned to discover the young woman who'd just smiled at her and felt her wife's fingers dig into her arm.

"It's Adams Foster." Lena corrected.

"Oh, sorry," she replied with a polite nod to Lena before turning her attention to Stef.

"You are?" Stef asked.

"Julia. Cadet Julia Pitt. Of course you don't remember me. But you were just so awesome when you tossed Timothy during the self-defense demonstration. I was wondering if I could buy you a drink to thank you."

"That's very kind of you Cadet," Stef began just as the waitress arrived and Lena grabbed their drinks, handing one to Stef before she turned back to the girl.

"I think we've got it covered," Lena added pointedly and Julia finally got the message, nodded and headed back to her group.

"You both suck as wing women," Jenna informed them.

"We will do better," Stef promised. "Who do you want us to help you reel in?"

"I was interested in her friend," Jenna said and pointed at an ever so slightly older woman with dark, spiky hair sitting at Julia's table.

"Okay then. I will ask Julia to introduce us," Stef offered.

"You will?" Lena asked.

"What?" Stef asked, oblivious and Lena turned to Jenna for backup.

Jenna grabbed Stef's bicep and gave it a squeeze, " _Oh, Officer Foster, you are just so strong and awesome and amazing and could I buy you a drink and maybe screw your brains out later?"_ Jenna batted her eyes at the end for emphasis. _  
_

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Honey, even you aren't that oblivious."

"She's a child."

"I assure you, there is nothing childish about the dirty thoughts going through her mind," Lena said.

"Oh?" Stef asked her wife with a raised brow.

"Trust me on this one," Lena said pointedly and Stef grinned at her wife.

"Hey, hey you two, this is about me here. The single one, remember?"

"Right, right. So, who else?" Stef asked.

Jenna pointed to another woman sitting at the bar and Lena headed over to talk to her.

Jenna watched the woman's eyes light up the second she caught sight of Lena and groaned.

"You two suck," Jenna said.

"Hold that thought," Stef replied as she trailed after her wife.

A few hours later, Jenna was finally chatting with a cute young woman and Stef and Lena were stumbling together on the dance floor, laughing.

"I think…I think we should have turned down the shots." Stef realized.

"But they were fuzzy nipples." Lena protested and Stef laughed harder, pulling her wife closer and nuzzling her neck.

"Let's go home," Stef suggested as she nibbled her way up Lena's neck and took her head into her hands for a real kiss.

Lena kissed her wife back enthusiastically before pulling away slightly to stare into Stef's eyes. "I don't want to wait that long," she said and grabbed Stef's arm, dragging her into the dimly lit restroom and directly into the handicap stall in the back. Lena wasted no time unbuttoning Stef's pants and dragging down her zipper. Stef considered protesting for a moment, but then Lena's long, lean fingers reached down her underwear and began stroking her.

"Oh God." Stef said as she let her back hit the wall of the stall.

"You're so wet," Lena replied as she slipped two fingers deeper into her wife, pulled out and massaged her clit.

Stef dragged Lena closer and kissed her hard.

"Don't stop." Stef said as she stared deep into her wife's eyes.

Lena nodded, "You're mine," she said. And Stef, open and vulnerable, nodded her agreement.


	6. Chapter 6

**Day 17**

As daylight slowly entered their bedroom, Lena groaned and covered her face with her pillow. Stef padded back to the bed from the bathroom carrying a large glass of water and two Advil.

"Honey?"

"Please don't speak right now," Lena begged.

"I have water and Advil."

Lena kept her face buried away from the sun but reached out a hand for the glass and the pills which she immediately popped and then chugged the entire glass of water with a groan.

Stef crawled back into bed and Lena buried her head into Stef's chest and away from the light.

"Please tell me you feel it too," Lena said.

"I feel it too." Stef lied promptly.

"Oh God, our car."

"Is perfectly fine in the driveway."

"I thought we took a cab."

"We Ubered like responsible drunks. I called Mike. Figured he owed us one."

Lena sighed. Then glanced up at Stef.

"Did we really…" 

"Oh we reallied. I'm not sure Jenna is ever going to forgive us for this one," Stef said. And after a short pause both of them laughed, until Lena grabbed her head.

"Oh, oh, I think I'm too old for this."

"No, no. None of that. Get some more sleep," Stef ordered as she got out of bed. "I will make us some breakfast that will be a surefire cure to all that ails you."

Stef padded into the kitchen and was greeted by a cheerful Mariana.

"So, what time did you get home young lady?" Mariana asked her mom and grinned at Callie who joined in.

"All I know is I heard some really off key singing around two-thirty in the morning." Callie replied.

Stef snorted as Jesus popped into the room.

"Hey, what's for breakfast?" Jesus asked.

"I was thinking some bacon, eggs, hash browns, maybe a bit of toast," Stef replied and Jesus' eyes lit up as Brandon walked into the kitchen.

"Who's hung over?" Brandon asked.

"I have no idea what you're suggesting," Stef replied with a reasonably straight face.

"That's dad's standard. Washed down with a…" Stef slammed a coconut water and soda down on the counter. "Coke." Brandon finished.

Mariana's eyes lit up in delight. "Is Mama really hung over?" she asked.

"Mama _may_ have a small headache. But they'll be no teasing, am I understood?"

Everyone nodded but then Mariana and Callie caught each other's eye and cracked up. Stef did her best to hide her own amusement as she went about making breakfast.

Stef was dishing up breakfast for the hungry masses when Lena finally entered the kitchen.

"Wow, it's a veritable feast. Is there any food left in the house?"

"Not much," Stef replied and handed Lena a plate and her coconut water, which Lena gratefully accepted.

"So, Mama, how are you feeling?" Mariana asked with a knowing grin.

Lena looked at her daughter suspiciously.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Stef dished some eggs onto Lena's plate and whispered in her ear. "They heard us _singing_ when we got home." 

"Yeah, it was kind of loud," Jesus said.

"And off key," Brandon added.

"Everyone's a critic." Stef muttered.

Lena wasn't at all ashamed. "What can I say, we had a good time," she said and smiled at her wife who bent down and kissed her forehead before turning back to the kids.

"And there was no driving," Stef added.

Later that afternoon after the kids had departed for various parts unknown and Stef and Lena had completed yet another Costco run, they took the rare chance of an afternoon alone outside under the sun and cuddled together on a lounge chair.

"Can you believe that our kids are going to be juniors and seniors in two short weeks?" Lena asked Stef.

"Every time I see Jesus I wonder what happened to our cute baby boy. He's so big."

"I know. In just a couple more years things will be so quiet."

"Jude will still be here," Stef reminded and Lena nodded. But both of them were suddenly quiet.

"AJ told me that he and his brother were separated because not many families want two black boys."

"And yet, he was so much more polite than any of ours. Do you think Mike would be willing to trade?" Stef joked and got a sharp poke in the ribs as response.

"Was Brandon right?" Lena asked.

"About what?"

"Are we incapable of being alone together?"

Stef snorted. "Brandon was acting out. And we were going through a rough patch. Which we've worked out."

Lena gave Stef a tight squeeze because they most definitely had.

"If we're being completely honest…" Stef began.

"That is the new plan."

"Let's not rush it."

Lena was surprised. Sure, she'd brought home Callie, but Stef had always been happy to foster kids over the years.

"Just think, we could finally travel places that don't require sleeping bags or checking for bed bugs, eat at real restaurants without agonizing over the cost..."

"You do that."

"We could also do this anytime we wanted." Stef added and let her hand trail down Lena's side and slide up and under the bottom of her dress.

"Out here?" Lena murmured.

"If you don't want to…" Stef offered and slowly began to draw her hand back, but Lena stopped her.

"Don't."

"Don't what?" Stef teased as she nibbled on her wife's neck and then locked eyes with her.

"Don't stop."

Stef paused for a brief second and then she rolled on top of her wife to get a better angle. The chaise lounge was perfect for that, but it lacked a certain strength for leverage. Stef didn't let it deter her as she kissed Lena and carefully slipped two fingers inside of her wife when she realized that no additional foreplay was required.

Lena bucked her hips up, urging Stef on, but Stef refused to be rushed and pulled out to spread the wetness around Lena's outer lips before dipping back inside of her.

"Stef."

"Um hm." Stef murmured around delicate kisses.

"Fuck me," Lena demanded.

Stef felt her own body clench at the command. She loved it when Lena cursed. It was such a rarity she had to milk it just a bit.

"What did you say?" Stef asked as she continued to tease and torment.

Lena smiled against Stef's lips. "You heard me."

"I think I need to hear you say it again. Just so I'm clear." 

"Come on woman. Fuck me."

Stef caught the last syllable in a hungry kiss as she finally gave in and began fucking her wife with first two and then three fingers, being sure to grind her palm against Lena's clit each time. She felt sweat start to bead and watched the pulse point in Lena's neck speed up as she got closer and closer.

"Harder." Lena begged. And Stef did her best to get more leverage and put her hips behind it and the chaise began to lurch with her.

Lena's nails sink into her shoulders as her walls clenched around Stef's fingers. Stef shoved them deep and rubbed her palm around Lena's clit as Lena tossed her head back with a sigh…which quickly turned into a gasp as the chaise chose that moment to collapse and drop them to the ground.

They laid there for a moment in stunned surprise and then they started to laugh.

 **Day 17**

 **Part 2**

That night Stef lay in bed but couldn't get to sleep. The chaise's collapse had ended their afternoon delight and they'd had just enough time to clean up before the kids had trickled home demanding to be fed. Lena hadn't had a chance to return the favor and Stef hadn't asked when they'd gone to bed. It was ridiculous. She'd had more sex in the past couple of weeks than she'd had the previous three months. She could last one night. Or so she'd thought.

As Lena slept beside her, Stef knew there was only one way she was going to get to sleep. Slipping her hand under her pajama bottoms she knew it wouldn't take long. Her clit was already swollen and throbbing. She worked herself quickly, and as silently as possible, and in no time she was close.

The bed shifted as Lena rolled over and snuggled next to her, and then a soft hand ghosted across her stomach, causing her nerve endings to ripple pleasurably and her nipples to tighten in response. Lena's delicate hand continued its journey north and Stef gasped and arched the second Lena pinched her nipple and sent her over the edge.

The relief was instant. And Stef wrapped an arm around her wife's shoulders and kissed the top of her head in thanks.

"Why didn't you say something?" Lena asked sleepily.

"It seemed ridiculous."

"What?"

Stef grabbed Lena's hand that was still twirling circles around her stomach and directed it lower, so Lena could feel for herself.

"It's not like we haven't been…" Stef's voice trailed off as Lena's fingers began to explore.

"You're so wet," Lena murmured.

"You're telling me." Stef replied as she jerked helplessly when Lena rubbed her still sensitive clit. Lena readjusted but didn't stop her exploration.

Stef glanced over to confirm this was heading where she thought, and seeing the darkening desire in her wife's eyes, leaned over for a passionate kiss of lips and tongues.

Who needed sleep?


	7. Chapter 7

**Day 18**

The next morning Lena rolled into work a Venti Latte in hand. She wasn't at all sorry she'd only gotten four hours of sleep the night before – not that it was sustainable, because it definitely wasn't. But for now, it was totally worth it, and she was going to make the most of the next twelve days, sleep be damned.

Striding into her office, Lena settled into her morning routine, switching on her computer and pulling up her file of students who wanted transfers to accommodate complicated schedules and maximum Advanced Placement courses. Twenty minutes later, mired in the data, Lena drained the last of her coffee and sadly tossed it into the trash while stifling another yawn when a knock at her door interrupted.

"Come in," Lena called out and just avoided an audible sigh when Monte entered her office.

"Are you ready to discuss Timothy's enrollment plan?" Lena asked in full professional work mode.

"Chavez called," Monte shared.

"They did?" Lena asked, shocked. "What did they want? What did you say to them?"

"They loved you. Obviously." Monte said, "And I told them that they'd be lucky to have you."

Relieved, Lena fell back into her chair, "Thank you."

"Is this really what we've come to?" Monte asked. "We were friends."

"Were we?" Lena asked with a hint of bite.

"I can't help…"

"Yes, you could have. You are my boss. You should have helped it."

Monte looked like she wanted to argue further, but wilted under Lena's steady gaze. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you."

That evening, Lena carried her groceries into the kitchen, set the bags on the island and immediately took out the bottle of champagne and stuck it in the fridge to chill. Then she pulled out the large, cut up chicken she'd purchased and set to work. Her plans were more elaborate than typical of a Monday dinner. She was making fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, Stef's favorite. She'd even bought a pie for dessert. Her conversation with Monte had left a sour taste in her mouth. What the hell had she been playing with? Lena couldn't honestly answer that question. Whatever it was, any desire she had to even speak with Monte outside of work had completely evaporated. Monte may have completely overstepped, but Lena finally realized that she'd given her power she never should have had.

Setting to work, Lena turned on the stove to heat up the iron skillet and began putting together the flour mix. She was just dropping the first piece into the sizzling skillet when Stef entered the kitchen, still in uniform. Stef caught sight of the chicken and grinned, walking up behind her wife and wrapping her arms around her from behind, nuzzling her neck, "You really do love me, don't you?" 

Lena smiled softly and turned to meet Stef's eyes, "I really do." she said.

Stef's eyes warmed and they shared a brief kiss before she pulled back. "Let me go clean up."

Stef and Lena took the champagne bottle with them to their bedroom, and Stef slowly sipped from her glass as she waited for Lena to come out of the bathroom.

These past couple weeks had found them eschewing their standard flannel, more often than not in favor of simply naked. But this evening Stef had kept on her matching red bra and boy shorts, and Lena was changing into something slightly less comfortable from her lingerie collection.

The bathroom door finally opened and Lena stepped out in a white lace plunged neck teddy body suit that Stef most definitely didn't recall seeing before.

"You look beautiful." She declared as she threw back the sheets on Lena's side of the bed.

Lena slowly walked over and crawled onto the bed and over to her wife.

"You think so?" Lena teased.

"Me and everyone else on the planet," Stef joked as she leaned in for a kiss, but was thwarted by Lena's frown and sudden hand on her chest, holding her back.

"I don't care about anyone else." Lena said firmly. Because she truly didn't, the only person she wanted to see her as beautiful was her wife, but sometimes…

"Do you really still think I'm beautiful?" Lena asked.

Stef was flabbergasted. "Lena, everyone…"

"I'm not taking a poll," Lena replied. "Or maybe I am taking a poll. It's a poll of one. Stef, I know you love me. I do," Lena assured. "But if you didn't, if you saw me walking down the street…"

"In that? I might have to arrest you," Stef teased.

"Stef, I'm asking you, if you didn't know me. Would you still wanna…"

"What? Fuck you?" Stef asked.

"Yes," Lena said simply. No one had ever loved her the way Stef did. No one had made her feel so safe and seen, truly seen, and loved. But at the same time, there were occasions where she felt invisible in a way that maybe shouldn't matter after so many years together, and yet sometimes, it most definitely did. 

For some reason all Stef could hear was Jenna, clear as day, teasing her that Stef having the most gorgeous woman on the planet was a complete waste. It wasn't like Stef was blind. She knew Lena was beautiful. But she was so much more than a body. Even before she'd kissed her that very first time, she'd felt protective. She'd heard the comments from some of the PTA parents for god's sake. And as she'd struggled with her own feelings, if anything Lena's looks had been a distraction. She'd fallen in love with Lena because she was kind and smart and funny not because she was hot…even if that'd been the first thing out of her mother's and just about everyone's mouths.

Stef's ongoing silence made Lena uncomfortable, and so she smiled slightly and tried to deflect, "I'm clearly being an idiot."

"You're not an idiot," Stef said with a mild snort. Which meant that the only idiot here was herself.

So she looked at Lena, not as her wife, the mother of her children, the person she knew better than anyone on the planet, but simply as the beautiful woman she so clearly was. She felt desire begin to pool, and then she laughed.

"Hey!" Lena objected.

"Love, I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at me. I was tongue-tied enough the first day we met when I was still desperately pretending to be straight. If I were meeting you now? You'd probably end up dumping your drink in my lap to cool me off."

Lena's tension drained away and she smiled at the thought, "And if I did?"

"I'd order you another one to pour over my head. Who am I to deny you the chance to taste it off of my body?" Stef exaggerated the punch line with an elevated brow and Lena sputtered before breaking into full-throated laughter.

God, she loved her wife. Stef's humor had always done it for her. Although, she thought as took in her wife in her red bra and boy shorts, her rocking body sure didn't hurt.

Stef took a sip of her champagne while Lena looked on thoughtfully, and before thinking better of it Lena grabbed her own glass and slowly poured its contents down Stef's chest to pool in her stomach.

"Lena!"

Lena ignored Stef's mild outrage and leaned over and kissed her soundly, tasting the champagne from Stef's lips and then followed the path down her neck and chest to lap the juices off of Stef's tight abs. Stef arched her back and when that didn't direct her wife lower, she grabbed her own glass and spilled the last bit decidedly lower which did the trick nicely.

 **Day 19**

The next morning Stef purposely jumped into Lena's shower and gave her wife a slow once over. Lena smiled back, but held up her hand in warning, "Stef, you know I love you and always want you, but I've got exactly 20 minutes before I have to be out the door so I can sign my new contract."

Stef accepted this with good grace as she grabbed the soap and began washing up, "I just thought I'd enjoy the view," she said cheekily, and smiled as Lena flushed at the unexpected compliment.

Lena felt her nipples tighten in reaction to Stef's heated gaze. It was almost enough to make her reckless as her eyes consumed her wife's tight body. Then she caught sight of Stef's stitches without their bandage, and her stomach bottomed out.

"Love, are you okay?" Stef asked. 

"What? Yes, it's fine. I was just admiring my own view," Lena said, trying to get back the sexy banter.

"Glad to know my arm is doing it for you," Stef said dryly.

"Does it still hurt?" Lena asked.

Stef shook her head even as she re-soaped her washcloth and motioned for Lena to turn around so Stef could wash her back.

"It's fine, love. Speaking of, I'm going to be late tonight. One of the guys asked me to cover his shift."

"What?" Lena asked, her eyes popping open in the midst of Stef's ministrations and turned her head to meet her wife's eyes. "Stef, we agreed a long time ago…"

"That I wouldn't do overtime on weekdays," Stef acknowledged as she slowly moved the washcloth down Lena's body, soaping up her rear end and the backs of Lena's thighs.

Stef squatted down to continue down Lena's legs, "You know, I almost never take it, but Steve has covered for me a few times, and he got tickets to the Dodgers' playoff game in LA. It's one night."

"What if I'm asleep when you get home? We've still got eleven more days," Lena reminded her.

Stef brought the washcloth around the front of her wife's body and slowly rubbed it up her left leg until she reached her sensitive inner thigh, then she took it back down and moved to Lena's right leg and repeated the process as she slowly stood up and dragged the cloth along Lena's sensitive stomach and across her tight nipples for good measure.

"You really going to fall asleep?" Stef asked softly.

"I might be able to stay awake," Lena acknowledged breathlessly. "But what if you're too tired?"

Stef brought her body flush to her wife's, her own arousal evident, "I don't think that'll be a problem."

That night as Lena pepped dinner for herself and the kids, she texted Stef the image of her freshly signed contract with the bitmoji Mariana had created for her behind a desk marked Principal. A few minutes later Stef replied back with her own bitmoji character wearing a schoolgirl uniform…and things got progressively, hilariously dirtier from there.

Over dinner with the kids, Lena tried to maintain her concentration on their stories, but the beeping of her phone was too much for her and she had to check.

"Ah, ah ah, you know the rules," Mariana said teasingly to her Mama with an outstretched hand for Lena's phone.

"You're right, and I will put it away," Lena promised, getting up to tuck her phone into her purse, but her kids rebelled.

"Come on Mama, fair's fair," Callie said.

"It's not like you haven't done it to all of us a dozen times," Brandon added.

True. Lena could easily argue that those were the breaks since she and Stef paid for everyone's phones. But she liked their no cell phone rule at the dinner table. And it wasn't like they read through their kids' messages. So she nodded her head and handed her phone over to Mariana…just as a new text from Stef popped up on the home screen and Mariana almost dropped it. Then her eyes went wide and she showed it to Callie.

"Oh God, I didn't need to see that," Callie said covering her eyes.

"You asked for it," Lena told them calmly.

"What is it?" Jesus asked.

Mariana and Callie exchanged an amused glance before they shoved the phone right into their brother's face.

"What even is that?" Jesus asked, horrified.

"That's Mom and that's Mama and they are…"

"I know what they're doing!" Jesus declared.

"They're just cartoons," Jude said as he continued to eat his dinner unperturbed.

"Exactly," Lena replied. "Safe and fun for everyone."

"Except us." Brandon muttered.

That night, instead of heading up to bed, Lena grabbed a book and sat in the nook by the front door to wait up for Stef, who finally arrived home shortly before midnight.

"Hey honey," Lena called out softly.

"Lena? What are you doing downstairs?"

"Waiting for you."

"Oh?" Stef asked as she sauntered over to the bench and sat down, immediately rested her head in her wife's lap.

Lena stroked her hands down Stef's head and back. "I thought you said you wouldn't be tired?"

"I believe I said that I wouldn't be _too_ tired," Stef corrected, glancing up at Lena, who somehow managed to look radiant no matter the time or how tired she was.

"I need a shower," Stef said, and Lena nodded, getting up and following her wife up the stairs and to their bathroom.

They both stripped mindlessly, exhausted, but suddenly desperate to finish what had been teased hours and hours earlier.

Stepping into the stall they let the water cascade over them as they kissed and explored wet bodies. Shower sex was a challenge, and always sexier in look than in practice, but Stef was strong and Lena nimble. Lena wrapped one leg around Stef, who shoved her carefully against the wall for balance, laved Lena's turgid nipple with lips, tongue and delicate teeth, and finally, blessedly entered her wife with two and then three fingers and fucked her hard and fast. Lena clung desperately to Stef, letting the pleasure soak through every nerve until it was finally too much and her orgasm exploded, sending shivers down to her toes.

"Oh God honey, that was incredible."

"Worth the wait?" Stef asked, pleased and exhausted.

"Definitely," Lena replied. And recognizing that Stef was just about done in, she gathered herself, grabbed Stef's shampoo and proceeded to carefully massage it into her wife's scalp, let her rinse and followed it up with conditioner. A few minutes later they tumbled naked into bed, hair still wet, and wrapped in each other's arms fell into a deep sleep.


End file.
